Free to Love
by Kyla Baines
Summary: There are ties that cannot be severed - feelings that do not fade with the passing of time. A gift for the beautiful and talented FenZev, featuring our favorite DA man: Cullen. One-shot.


**Free to Love**

You stood beside him for years.

Together, you fought for justice – for truth.

Demons, animated corpses, darkspawn, even humans fallen prey to the monsters within their own hearts… all have been laid to waste at your blades.

You are both broken – your souls left bare and riddled by guilt. Guilt from the lives you've been forced to take, from the lies you've had to tell.

It has not been an easy road you've traveled.

It started as simple friendship. You traveled together, fought together, commiserated together for a common cause. He offered you a shoulder to lean on when the weight of responsibility threatened to overwhelm you. You took his hand and showed him an existence outside of the cage of duty he'd wrought for himself. You learned one another's quirks, were able to coax rare smiles from the other's lips when only infrequent rays of joy were to be found in the darkness of the world.

You brought out the best in one another.

Gradually, your feelings toward him evolved into something new. The warm pool that had always formed within you at his appearance turned to tongues of flame that swept through your veins, consuming you. From the smoldering coals in his eyes, you had known it was the same for him. The rare, stolen moments you had together became charged with electricity that had nothing to do with magic or the Fade. You nearly admitted your feelings for him. His lips parted, but no sound came out. Still, you were sure that these emotions were real, that against all odds you would find joy with one another.

Fate is a cruel mistress.

You were torn from one another by separate, unshakable duties that could not be foresworn. Mighty oaks dropped their desiccated leaves. Biting winds swept in from across the sea. New life arose from the thawing ground. Seasons passed in a blur, yet your heart remained locked away in a defensive slumber. Your days were spent in a flurry of activity – a desperate attempt to shake thoughts of him from your mind. At night, though, his memory haunted you in your dreams. Beautiful thoughts of what could have been – what _should_ have been.

These dreams have never left.

You're older, now. Though only a few years have gone by, they have left more marks on your once porcelain skin than seems fair. You grasp the small token he left with you before you parted ways. The wood is smooth - silky from the persistent touch of your fingers.

It's been a long journey.

You're no longer sure if it's the past you're running from, or if you only wish to be free from the shackles of responsibility. You simply want a new life – a life of peace. More than anything, though, you wish that there were a pair of strong, familiar arms to fall into, to stroke your hair and soothe away your regrets and sorrow.

You weave your way through the crowd, elbows and shoulders jostling you. A strong breeze blows through the narrow street, and your hood is blown back. Your hair whips around your face, and you glance around for any sign of hostility or recognition. Even here – in far-off city during a time of relative peace – your guard is up, and you are ready to defend yourself if the need arises.

A flash of yellow catches your eye. You look over to see a man with blonde curls walking into the distance. Your breath hitches, and your eyes widen.

Though his hair is slightly longer than you remember, the color and texture are engrained in your memory, and those broad shoulders encased in meticulously polished armor are unmistakable.

With halting steps, you stagger forward and break into a clumsy run. When you're a mere ten paces away, he stops, cocking his head to the side. You stop, a sliver of doubt piercing your heart. Could this be just a fanciful hope born of a desperate dream?

He turns, and your vision blots out everything but him.

Eyes of liquid caramel regard you, the vast pool of emotions swirling within stealing your breath from you. They change from cautiously curious to disbelieving to indescribably happy in a fraction of a moment.

Joy, sadness, admiration… love.

You swallow past the elation that threatens to overwhelm you. After all this time, he still remembers. He still _feels_.

Your heart beats faster. Your gaze dares to venture past his eyes.

His face has qualities that even the most eloquent bard would struggle to capture. Features that you thought you'd memorized so long ago are thrown into relief by the midday sun.

Like you, time has changed him – hardened him in unknown ways that threaten to coax tears from your eyes.

You have never seen a more beautiful sight.

Worry lines crease his serious brow, and high, strong cheekbones sweep up to frame those amber pools that hold you captive. Only the upward crinkles at the corners of his eyes reveal his ability to show outward happiness. Happiness that you're sure has been scant these past years, as you've known only too well.

Your gaze follows the plane of his cheek and rest finally on his full lips. The corners tug up into a smile – a small, closed-lipped curve that he's always reserved especially for you. That smile is something that even the harshest of years couldn't steal from him. Your heart thunders unevenly within your breast. This simple gesture of his transforms him from battle-hardened, unshakable templar to something else entirely: a man.

Your man.

He steps closer, and as one, you place a gentle hand on the other's cheek. You can feel the beginning of stubble growing stubbornly back after his daily shave. The rough callouses on his palm bring a flush to your warm cheek.

_I love you_.

The words don't need to be spoken to convey what both of you know the other to feel. Three simple words could do nothing to describe the maelstrom of adoration that encases you both in a web of perfection.

Your heart swells as he flashes you that special smile once again. Your surroundings disappear. You are in a private world where only the two of you exist. Only your devotion to one another matters.

As your eyes sweep over his lips, you ache to feel them against yours – to finally know their texture and shape fully.

He knows what you're thinking – he always has. With unfathomable joy, his head lowers and he captures your lips with his in a kiss that is tender as it is hungry – as soft as it is searing. A single saline drop of bliss escapes your closed eyes.

All the hurt and pain that have followed you disappear, evaporated in the heat of his kiss. His touch heals you, and an invisible weight lifts from your shoulders.

You simultaneously break unwillingly away, brows softly touching as your arms snake around one another. You take a deep, shuddering breath, finally feeling as though one last piece has fallen into place.

You are perfectly content. Perfectly complete.

* * *

**A/N: **_This is an idea that hit me, and would not let me work on Duty and Devotion until I wrote it. As I started developing this idea, I found I was inspired by my dear friend **FenZev**. Thus, this little story turned into a gift for her. **FenZev**: you are such an inspiration! Your support has meant the world to me. Much love and hugs… I hope you enjoy :)_


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